


mean little smile

by ohwickedsoul



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Crushes, Feelings Realization, Implied Relationships, M/M, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Pining, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohwickedsoul/pseuds/ohwickedsoul
Summary: Yaku leans way into his space. Close enough that Kuroo can see darker flecks in his pale brown eyes, can see the way his faded summer freckles spread over his cheekbones. "The Roses single-handedly saved rock from the hair metal plague of the eighties." Yaku says, his mouth ticking up higher on one side.Fuck, is that a dimple?Kuroo stares, and stares, and Yaku raises one thick eyebrow at him, smile growing Cheshire cat wide and absolutely evil.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke
Comments: 30
Kudos: 324





	mean little smile

**Author's Note:**

> [this fic owes its existence to this video](https://twitter.com/yamiitamy/status/1283037476534259712) by @yamiitamy on twitter, and i have contributed probably 500 of its watches writing this fic. 
> 
> please watch and show some love!!!!

Yaku Morisuke is a little bitch. 

Kuroo is not usually so vicious, even in the confines of his own brain, but he's hard-pressed to keep a legitimate snarl from his lips. 

He's just- awful. He's awful, has always been awful. Contentious and conceited and calling Kuroo out for the hell of it. Sometimes Kuroo wonders if he actually has opinions of his own or if they're based solely on whatever's the opposite of what Kuroo thinks. 

It gets a little better when they reach an accord, of sorts, about volleyball. Winning- dominating the court. Making it all the way to Nationals, something in their blood that makes them a little narrow-eyed, a little mean, a little too focused on getting a rise, whatever that rise may be, makes them nigh _unstoppable_ on the court. 

So Yaku Morisuke may be a little bitch, a mother hen to every other member of the team but Kuroo, whom he still teases relentlessly, but Kuroo kind of likes him despite that. 

Maybe even because of how awful he is. Kuroo can be awful too. 

"Demon-senpai," he says, when Yaku saves a ball on something of a miracle dive.

"Yaku-paisen," he coos when Yaku is spitting harsh insults at their hapless, too tall Lev.

"Yakkun," he grins while holding something high above Yaku's head, just to be annoying. 

And so they do nothing but pick at each other, snipe and spit insults and sarcastic comments and half-meant insults, and then it sort of becomes routine, and then it sort of becomes something else.

* * *

"Well, in terms of classic rock," Yaku says, chin tilted up just-so as he lectures to Lev who takes his words like gospel. He slides a glance out of the corner of his eyes towards Kuroo, who's obviously eavesdropping. They're all hanging out after practice, draped over the gym and not quite ready to go shower and start the inevitable homework. "Guns'n'Roses have always been the best of the best, historically."

"What the fuck are you _on,_ " Kuroo bursts out, startling Kenma next to him. Kenma gives him a wounded look without managing to move a muscle in his face and goes to sit next to Yamamoto. Traitor. 

Yaku tilts that mean little smile of his towards Kuroo, poor Lev standing there watching his senpai fight. "Let me guess, you're some sort of Lynyrd Skynyrd fan," he says, mocking. 

Kuroo folds his arms over his chest. "The Stones helped create rock as we know it."

Yaku leans way into his space. Close enough that Kuroo can see darker flecks in his pale brown eyes, can see the way his faded summer freckles spread over his cheekbones. "The Roses single-handedly saved rock from the hair metal plague of the eighties." Yaku says, his mouth ticking up higher on one side. 

Fuck, is that a dimple? 

Kuroo stares, and stares, and Yaku raises one thick eyebrow at him, smile growing Cheshire cat wide and absolutely evil. 

Kuroo wants to-

Kuroo goes tomato red in a single instant, mouth shut like a letterbox, and spins on his heel to get out of the gym. 

Yaku's laughter rings out behind him, makes Kuroo's ears flush even darker, and something in his chest tightens like a choke collar.

What the fuck?

* * *

He almost doesn't wait for Kenma. Almost. He's not that much of a dick to not walk Kenma like he does every day. There's also the thought that if he didn't walk Kenma home like he does every day, Kenma will instantly know that Kuroo is a little fucked up because he is thinking terrible, terrible things about Nekoma's demon libero. 

Yaku _made_ him think these terrible things. This is definitely not Kuroo's fault.

Kenma comes out of the gym, looking exhausted and his hair dripping on his shoulders. 

Kuroo falls into step easily beside him, shoving his hands down deep in his pockets. Kenma's got his phone in his hands, staring down at it. Kuroo would think it was surgically attached if he didn't see him switch it out with his Switch or a volleyball occasionally. 

He puts a hand on Kenma's shoulder and steers him around a light post. Kenma makes a small noise of thanks, and continues to text. 

"Are you talking to chibi-chan?" Kuroo asks, leaning over to try and look at Kenma's phone. He watches with interest as Kenma's ears go red. "What's the little crow up to?"

"What was up with you at the end of practice?" Kenma shoots back, and god damnit how does he make that flat tone sound so- so- _salacious_. 

"The man has no idea of what good music is," Kuroo grumps, shoving his hands back in his pockets. 

"I was more talking about the part where you went red and bolted," Kenma says. 

Damn the kid. Why's he got to be so observant? 

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Kuroo says, trying to gather what's left of his dignity around him. 

"Hm," Kenma hums, and his phone buzzes. 

"Tell chibi-chan I say hi," Kuroo says, a little mean. 

"Shoyou also wants to know what's up with you and Morisuke," Kenma doesn't miss a beat, the little prick. 

Kuroo makes an annoyed, growling sound, but the way Kenma's mouth ticks up almost makes it worth it.

* * *

Kuroo wakes up from a dead sleep, something in the house creaking or some noise outside startling him. He sits up, sheets pooling around his waist. He'd been wearing a shirt when he went to bed, he was pretty sure. The sheets are a little sweaty, and he's suddenly, uncomfortably aware that he's mostly hard. 

Moonlight comes through his window in a flat stream, ending in a perfect, sharp edged square on his sheets, everything quiet, no sign of what had woken him. Kuroo runs a hand through his hair. What had he been dreaming of-

Someone in his lap, someone smaller than him, in his space, freckles and a mean little smile-

Kuroo swallows hard. Oh no. Oh _no_.

* * *

Right. So Kuroo might have a thing for his tiny demon of a libero. Might be a little more into the way Yaku is a sharp eyed asshole who enjoys tormenting him. Oh god, is Kuroo into that? Is that like a thing? 

Kuroo suffers through this meltdown through two practices and over the weekend. He's pretty sure he's doing a mostly okay job of hiding it.

Not from Kenma, of course. It's impossible to hide anything from Kenma. This is usually okay, because Kenma doesn't care about most things so even if he does notice the thing you don't want him to notice, he won't do anything about it. 

Kuroo is not sure Kenma doesn't care about this thing. He's texting baby crow an awful lot. That could be unrelated, however. The little side-long glances Kenma keeps giving him probably are related, unfortunately. 

Yaku knows. Yaku _definitely_ knows, which sort of makes the fact that Kuroo is trying to hide it moot. 

The first time Kuroo saw Yaku after what he had termed 'the dream', Yaku had been in a t-shirt with a stretched out collar, and Kuroo had stopped in his tracks like a fool, just looking at the way the freckles collected on the outside of his arms and the sharp cut of his collarbones. 

Yaku had given him an odd look, then paused and looked at Kuroo again. _Really_ looked at him. 

He had then grinned, ear to fucking ear, that mean little smile Kuroo was apparently so into he was having full on sex dreams about, and Kuroo had to hide in the bathroom till class started and his red face had calmed down. 

Why does everyone call Yaku the team mom? He's obviously an awful, horrible person who didn't have a maternal bone in his body. The bastard. 

It's awful in the first practice, because Yaku finds every excuse in the book to be near Kuroo, lean into his space and catch his eye, talk and tilt his head, comments on how Kuroo is really distracted today, huh, and Kuroo nearly takes a ball to the face and lets Lev- fucking _Lev_ of all people- block his spike. 

The next practice Yaku is a little nicer, technically, mostly because teasing your teammate who has the hots for you is fun and all but volleyball is more important. Kuroo agrees with this sentiment with something approaching religious fervency. 

It doesn't matter, in the end, if Yaku takes it down a notch, because near the end of practice he lifts his libero's jersey to wipe at his forehead, and Kuroo's eyes fixate so hard on the flat of his stomach, on the sharp cut of his hip bones that he walks into one of the net poles. 

God _damnit_. 

Friday there is no practice, no chance of seeing any part of Yaku that will send Kuroo into a tailspin, and he thinks himself safe. 

He is decidedly _not_. 

In the hallway after the last bell, he catches sight of Yaku in a thick sweater, a little too big for him, and god damn him Kuroo's heart gives a weird little squeeze. 

This is so bad. Kuroo can deal with having the hots for a teammate- there was a minute in first year where he thought one of the third years was super hot, and everyone knows Kai is one of the most attractive men to walk this earth- but like. This feels like a feeling? Like a real one? 

He cannot have a thing for Yaku Morisuke of all people. For one, Yaku would kill him. For two-

Kuroo doesn't get to finish the thought. The friend Yaku's talking to gestures to him, and Yaku turns, looks over his shoulder. His face is a curious, friendly, till he catches sight of Kuroo. 

He grins then, and his eyes go half lidded and he shoots an honest to god wink at Kuroo, standing there like an idiot in the middle of the hallway. 

Kuroo stands, there, struck by lightning and an arrow through his heart, face steadily going red _again_ , and Yaku walks away with his friend, snickering a little while Kuroo's rabbit heart skips. 

Kuroo takes the weekend to finish his meltdown. 

He doesn't get over it. He's not sure one can _get over_ a huge, world-ending crush on the smallest, angriest libero in the world. 

But Kuroo knows an opponent when he sees one, and if Yaku wants to try and play it this way, Kuroo'll beat him at his own game. 

It might kill him, though. 

Or Yaku might.

A fifty/fifty shot, really.

* * *

So Kuroo feels a lot better about the whole thing when Monday rolls around, or at least less unprepared. 

"Captain-senpai!" Yaku calls down the hallway. He sounds delighted. He's definitely doing the senpai thing on purpose- Kuroo's the youngest of the third years. God, Kuroo can't believe he likes such a bastard. "I found a member of your family this weekend."

Kuroo turns around, raises an eyebrow. Yaku smirks at him, and tosses something at him. Kuroo catches it automatically, looks down to see an apple. Bright red. "My family?" he says. 

"You look so similar these days," Yaku says. 

Kuroo lets his own smirk roll over his face. "Ah, Yakkun, were you thinking about me?" he says, overly sweet. 

Yaku's eyebrow twitches. Kuroo's smirk grows wider. He takes a bite of the apple, the crunch loud and obnoxious. "Sweet as you," Kuroo coos, and pats Yaku on the head as he passes him. 

There's an incomprehensible sound of anger from behind him, and Kuroo's grin stretches from ear to ear. He takes another bite of the apple. Not bad at _all_. 

This becomes routine. Yaku will tease and taunt, flash a smile that still makes Kuroo run hot and cold, simultaneously, how does he do that? But now Kuroo will just smirk right back at him, and flirts as hard as he can in return, lays it on thick as icing. 

The team startles at this turn of events the first practice, but by the third or fourth they're ignoring it- just another form of Yaku and Kuroo's sniping, a new way for them to argue like they've been arguing since they were first years. 

The next Thursday they're all leaving practice, hair still damp from the showers and everyone's uniforms less perfect than they were in the morning from being shoved in lockers. Some with more care than others. 

"You look like a delinquent," Yaku says, glaring at Kuroo from under his brows. Kenma sighs, and actually makes the effort to speed up his steps so he's now walking next to Yamamoto. Kuroo grins. 

"I think I work the bad boy look," he says. His tie is barely on, but he's just walking home. That, and he's not totally unaware of his looks. The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, and the vee of skin there has already gotten him a few looks from the stray female students still around the school. 

"No one with a crush on Marie Curie gets to call themselves a bad boy," Yaku rolls his eyes. 

Kuroo gasps. "Speaking ill of the dead? Disgraceful, Yakkun," he says. "I would've thought even that would be beneath you."

"Ex _cuse_ me?" Yaku says, his nostrils flaring. 

"You know," Kuroo smirks. "Because not that much _can_ be beneath you?"

Kuroo can hear Kenma heave a sigh up ahead, but his focus is all on Yaku, who's now in his space again, leaning up on his toes. "Really? A short joke?"

"Speak up," Kuroo says. He's really playing with fire here. "Can't hear you down there."

Yaku's ears go red, and he growls and aims an open palm slap to Kuroo's shoulder. Kuroo catches his hand instead, interlaces their fingers. "Careful, sweetheart," he says. "Don't want our prize libero to hurt himself." His tone is still a little mean, teasing but something else leaks out, sounding closer to a purr than Kuroo's used to his voice sounding like. 

Yaku's eyes go wide, his mouth soft and a little open, and oh, that's a good look on him too. Maybe even up there with that evil grin of his. 

Kuroo's smirk stretches over his face, ear to ear. 

Yaku goes abruptly pink underneath his freckles, and he tears his hand out of Kuroo's and stomps off to go walk with Yamamoto and Kenma. 

Well. That was interesting.

* * *

Over the next week, Kuroo starts to catch Yaku looking at him. Brows furrowed, mouth a little twisted, just looking. Considering. 

Their interactions don't stop, exactly, but they're certainly not at the neon sign level they were at before. 

"Are you mad at Kuroo?" Lev, the fool, asks one practice. 

Yaku pegs a volleyball at his head. It's an excellent shot, considering he threw it left-handed. "Idiot titan! Of course not!"

"Aw, are mom and dad fighting?" Kai says, draping an arm over Kuroo's shoulders. 

"Baby, please, we can get through this." Kuroo yells over to Yaku. "I can change!"

"I want a divorce!" Yaku yells back, and the team laughs. 

They're cleaning up a little while later, when Kuroo's head pops up. "Wait, so we're team mom and dad."

"Since when?" Yaku says. 

"Since Kai said earlier. And you're team mom." Kuroo says and he stops sweeping and folds his arms on top of the broom. 

"Get back to work," Yaku frowns at him. 

"Definitely mom," Kuroo pauses, relishing the moment. "Does that make me daddy?" 

Yaku throws the broom at him. Kuroo counts the way his cheeks flush hot pink again as a success, however. 

It backfires, however, when they're putting away the cleaning supplies in the closet and Yaku tosses him his broom and an unfolded net. "Put this away for me," he says. 

Kuroo frowns. "What? Come fold your own net, Yakkun."

"Aw," Yaku says, mouth curling up and eyes going half lidded. "Please, daddy?" 

Kuroo's mouth goes dry immediately, and Yaku bursts out laughing and leaves. Kuroo folds the net, cursing Yaku Morisuke to the moon and back, and has to hide in the supply closet for a few extra minutes while he waits for his blush and...other reactions...to go down. 

Forget whatever the hell he said before. Fuck a neon sign, that was like a...sign spinner, or one of those inflatable guys outside of car parks. Jesus.

* * *

A few days later, Kuroo's about to lock up the club room. Kenma had left school immediately after the last bell- apparently some tiny crow was coming to visit Tokyo this weekend. 

Kuroo smiles a little to himself. It was nice to see Kenma so excited about something- or someone, as the case may be. 

Now, however, he's without his usual shadow, and he takes his time straightening up the club room before it's locked up for the weekend. He's bent over, trying to rescue some sock from under the shelving, when a voice behind him says, "I don't know, picking up after all these kids is pretty mom-ish."

Kuroo bangs his head on the shelving, muffles a swear. God damnit. He straightens, rubbing the back of his head and looks over his shoulder. "Well, I guess you would know, Yaku."

Yaku leans in the doorway, smirking at Kuroo. He doesn't have his uniform jacket or his tie on, just the white button up. Kuroo tsks. "You're not appropriately dressed, Yakkun. Now who's a delinquent?"

"My mistake, captain," Yaku says, saccharine sweet and sarcastic, and steps further into the club room. "Why are you here by yourself?"

"Kenma's got a rival visiting," Kuroo says, shaking his head in mock dismay. "I've been thrown away for a crow."

"You are both found near trash cans," Yaku says. 

"You say that like you aren't a cat yourself," Kuroo says. "What are you doing here?"

Yaku holds up a drawstring bag. "Dropping off my shoes."

There's a little pause. Ever since this whole- _thing_ \- started, Kuroo can't think of a time where he and Yaku have actually been alone. 

There's always been someone else around to sort of, perform for. To create this illusion that Kuroo's awful, continually burgeoning crush on Yaku was a joke. 

Because, okay, Kuroo can admit that it's not just him being hot for people who are mean to him. If it was, he'd probably be into Kenma, or the tall blonde blocker at Karasuno. 

(He decidedly does not think about the fact that he actually does think Tsukishima is actually very cute. That doesn't matter right now.)

Kuroo _likes_ Yaku, likes how he's the steady rock of their team, likes how explodes at Lev but is always willing to practice receives with him, likes how he's on them to drink more water and stay hydrated, likes the freckles on his cheekbones, likes how he's simultaneously no nonsense and so kind and how Kuroo can tell he actually thinks Yamamoto is funny by the way his nose crinkles, and how Yaku is always ready to meet him there, punch for punch and quip for quip. 

"Ready to lock up?" Kuroo says. It's the only thing he can think to say. 

Yaku slides his shoes on to the shelf and follows Kuroo out, and then waits there as Kuroo locks the door. It takes him two tries, his hands a little unsure under Yaku's gaze. 

He puts the key back on his ring when he's done, slides it and his hands into his pockets. Kuroo swallows. "Planning to walk me home, Yakkun?" he says, and he even manages to say it with the right amount of suggestive lilt. 

"Someone has to make sure you get there safely," Yaku retorts. "I don't think you'd be able to find your way without Kenma."

Kuroo laughs at that, and something relaxes a little in him as they make their way out of the school and onto the streets of Tokyo. Okay. He can do this. He's definitely not thinking about Yaku not saying no to walking him home, and how this is the first time they've hung out, and does this even count as hanging out? 

Everything is okay. 

"I don't like you," Yaku bursts out as they pass a park. 

Everything is _not_ okay. 

Kuroo comes to a stop, almost skidding, eyes wide. Yaku turns to face him, eyes wide, like he's also shocked he said it. "You can't stand me, I can't- You-"

He's almost tripping over his words, like he can't figure out what he's trying to say, and Kuroo watches in horror as his eyes are- Jesus, they look wet, is Yaku cry-

"I can stand you!" Kuroo says, too fast and too high pitched and sounding so stupid, oh my god. 

"What?" Yaku says, his eyebrows drawing together. 

They stare at each other for a moment. 

"I can stand you?" Kuroo offers again, weakly. "I- You don't like me?" he hates how his voice comes out, a little too weak and hurt. 

Yaku drags a hand over his face. "No," he grinds out. His head snaps up. "No, I mean- of course I like you, Kuroo."

Kuroo's heart restarts. He wasn't sure when it had stopped, only that now it's beating heavy and relieved in his chest. "Ah," he croaks. "Good to know."

"I just- I can't do the stupid flirting anymore," Yaku says. That's Yaku to a fucking tee, Kuroo things, too fond. Straightforward to a fault. 

Then guilt rushes through him like a wave, and Kuroo stammers out. "No- no, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, I just-"

Yaku waves his hands a little frantically. Kuroo doesn't have any idea of what his face looks like, just that Yaku's expression is wide open and his eyes are still a little glossy. "No, no, I started it, I shouldn't have, I just-"

Kuroo rakes his hands through his hair, and he sounds miserable to his own ears when he says, "No, it's my fault for making you uncomfortable with my stupid crush-"

Yaku freezes. "What?"

Kuroo stares at him, his hands still in his hair. "What?"

"I was…" Yaku stops, shakes his head. "Back up. _Your_ stupid crush?"

"I'm _sorry_ ," Kuroo says, and dammit he sounds like Lev, whiny and awful. "I know we're teammates and it's not-"

"Kuroo," Yaku says sharply. "I was telling you to stop because I have a massive, stupid crush on you and it was breaking my heart to have you flirting with me as a joke."

Kuroo thinks his heart might stop again. "Ah," he says awkwardly.

Yaku shakes his head. "What happened to you being all smooth and asking me to call you daddy?" he says, a faint grin beginning to stretch his cheeks. 

"I don't know that man," Kuroo says automatically. "Wait- Yaku- you have a crush on me?"

Yaku rolls his eyes. "Keep up, Kuroo." 

Kuroo takes that in for a minute and then burst out, "Wait- then- how the hell didn't you realize I had a crush on you! Yaku, I walked into a pole."

Yaku laughs. "Yeah, that was good." His cheeks go a little pink. "I just- I didn't think it was _serious_. You're just into people who are mean to you."

Kuroo groans. "God, I was hoping that wasn't true, but I guess it is, huh?" 

"But- you like me. Not just because that." Yaku says, his sentences short and clipped and still blunt but so unsure that Kuroo takes a step forward. 

"Yeah," Kuroo says. "Yeah, Yaku, you fucking idiot. I have a massive, stupid crush on you and your mean little smile and your receives and your sense of humor and-"

"My receives?" Yaku says, sounding incredulous, but he's got one of those ear to ear grins that have become one of Kuroo's favorite things in the world to see.

"Shut up," Kuroo says. "You have a crush on me _back_."

"Can't imagine why," Yaku grumbles, but it's all fake, and Kuroo takes another step forward until finally he's the one getting in Yaku's space for one. 

"So," Kuroo says, cat smile firmly in place. "Since we have all this mutual crushing between us-"

"Oh god, Kuroo, shut _up_ ," Yaku says, and kisses him. 

Kuroo has a second to think, _oh my god he had to come up onto his tiptoes to reach, that's so fucking cute_ , before his brain catches up and he's bending his head down to make it easier, Yaku's hand warm and steady on his cheek, and Kuroo's sliding his just under the hem of that white uniform shirt to thumb over Yaku's hipbones. 

Kuroo can feel Yaku start to grin that mean little smile against his mouth, and thinks that that might be the best way to experience it, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> hi kids!!!
> 
> as i said in the notes at the top, [this fic owes its entire existence to this video](https://twitter.com/yamiitamy/status/1283037476534259712) and i am never going to stop thinking about it, ever, and i now have kryk brain rot. feels good. 
> 
> also, nobuyuki kai is absolutely "the hot one" of the nekoma vball team and everyone has a crush on him, i will not be taking criticism on this. 
> 
> [you can find me on twitter ](https://twitter.com/ohwickedsoul)
> 
> [and also on tumblr](https://ohwickedsoul.tumblr.com/)
> 
> as always, your comments are the best thing about writing and really keep me going. stay healthy, stay safe, and be good!


End file.
